Senior Director, Energy Technology Initiative

About the role

The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) was established in May 2019 and evolved from the Institute for Molecular Engineering, founded in 2011. The PME integrates science and engineering to address global challenges from the molecular level up, made possible through the University of Chicago’s unique partnership with Argonne National Laboratory. In collaboration with the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth (ICSG), PME launched the Energy Technology Initiative (ETI) to advance next‑generation technologies for energy conversion, storage, and distribution. A key component of ETI is the Energy Transition Network (ETN), an affiliate network that provides a pre‑competitive forum for companies and researchers to share insights, identify opportunities, and translate innovations from basic research to commercial impact.

The Senior Director of ETI is the senior‑most administrative and strategic leader of the Energy Technology Initiative, with full accountability for defining ETI's vision, owning its portfolio of programs and partnerships, and driving organizational impact in collaboration with ICSG and external partners. Reporting to the ETI Faculty Director and serving as a strategic peer to ICSG leadership, the Senior Director defines and drives the joint strategic agenda across ETI's programs, partnerships, and communications. The Senior Director also builds and leads ETI's internal team, setting direction, developing talent, and establishing the organizational capacity needed to execute at scale. The Senior Director is the accountable owner of the Energy Transition Network (ETN), overseeing its strategy, operations, and member engagement. This position demands visionary leadership, sophisticated stakeholder influence, and the ability to translate scientific opportunity into institutional and industry impact.

Responsibilities

• Serves as ETI's primary organizational and strategic leader and partners with the ETI Faculty Director to define ETI's long-term vision, set institutional priorities, and drive enterprise-wide alignment across PME, ICSG, and external stakeholders.
• Works to integrate and highlight ETI initiatives within the broader strategic goals of PME, ICSG, and the Corporate Engagement Office.
• Owns end-to-end strategy, execution, and impact evaluation for ETI's initiatives, partnerships, and events.
• Leads the development and